Four of Europe’s largest mobile operators have pledged to support and deploy Open Radio Access Network (OpenRAN) solutions across their networks.
In a joint statement, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone announced they will work together “to support the rollout of OpenRAN as the technology of choice for future mobile networks to the benefit of consumer and enterprise customers across Europe.”
OpenRAN promotes interoperable and open-source alternatives to the traditional radio access network model. By encouraging multi-vendor ecosystems and software-driven architectures, OpenRAN aims to increase competition, accelerate innovation and reduce the cost and complexity of network rollouts.
Claudia Nemat, Chief Technology Officer of Deutsche Telekom, said:
“OpenRAN is about network innovation, flexibility and faster rollout. Deutsche Telekom is committed to its promotion, development and adoption to ensure the best network experience for our customers. To seize this opportunity, it is critical that we join forces with our leading European partners to foster a diverse, competitive and secure 4G/5G ecosystem based on OpenRAN solutions.
Through our open labs and community activities, we facilitate smaller players to enter the market with their solutions. To build on this foundational work, we urge government support and funding for community activities that will strengthen the European ecosystem and leadership in 5G.”
Many governments support OpenRAN, particularly in Western countries seeking cost-effective and innovative alternatives after restrictions on certain vendors for national security reasons. Public funding and policy support are seen as essential to help new suppliers scale and to accelerate ecosystem development.
The UK government has allocated £250 million as part of a 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy to encourage new vendors to enter the market. A significant portion of projects announced under the UK’s 5G Create initiative are already using OpenRAN technology, reflecting growing industry momentum.
Vodafone UK previously committed to using 5G equipment from smaller OpenRAN vendors at up to one-fifth of its sites from 2027. The broader Vodafone Group announcement confirms the company’s intention to champion OpenRAN across its operations in Europe.
Johan Wibergh, Chief Technology Officer of Vodafone Group, said:
“OpenRAN has the power to stimulate European tech innovation using the expertise of the companies that develop it and the governments who support it. Opening up the market to new suppliers, with our ambition and government advocacy, will mean faster 5G deployment, cost-saving network efficiencies and world-class services.
We remain committed to rolling out our OpenRAN program across Europe, and we’re taking it even further. We aim to open R&D labs for new, smaller suppliers to develop their products. But to do this we need a supportive investment environment and political backing, and we urge European governments to join us in creating the OpenRAN ecosystem.”
The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the four operators commits them to cooperate with existing and new ecosystem partners, as well as with industry bodies such as the O-RAN Alliance and the Telecom Infra Project (TIP). They will also engage with European policymakers to accelerate the development and deployment of OpenRAN technologies.
Enrique Blanco, Chief Technology & Information Officer at Telefónica, commented:
“OpenRAN is the natural evolution of radio access technologies and it will be key for 5G networks. Telefónica believes the whole industry must work together to make it a reality.
I am excited to be partnering with major European operators to promote the development of an open technology that will help to enhance the flexibility, efficiency, and security of our networks.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for the European industry not only to promote the development of 5G but also to participate in its sustainable technological development.”
Beyond reducing costs, OpenRAN combined with virtualization and automation brings operational benefits. It enables operators to scale capacity more quickly, reassign resources dynamically, automate incident resolution, and offer on-demand, enterprise-grade services that support Industry 4.0 use cases.
These advantages help explain why traditionally competing operators are collaborating to shape the OpenRAN ecosystem. By pooling resources, opening R&D labs and advocating for supportive policies and investment, they aim to create a more diverse supplier base and faster paths to deployment.
The four operators’ commitment is designed to promote a secure, competitive and innovation-friendly market for 4G and 5G OpenRAN solutions across Europe. Their joint effort seeks to ensure that smaller vendors and new entrants can contribute to a resilient, high-performance future network landscape.
If you follow industry events and discussions, the topic of OpenRAN is increasingly prominent on conference agendas, as operators, vendors and policymakers work to align technical, commercial and regulatory approaches for widespread adoption.